Repair or Replace: What to Do with Aging Audio Visual Gear?

You blew another amp in your restaurant’s sound system. The picture quality on your TV just isn’t what it used to be, and the unit has been prone to overheating and shutting off lately. Your projector needs a new lamp, but you got sticker shock when you priced out the replacement part. You’re tired of replacing a new part each month. Maybe it’s time to give your restaurant or sports bar’s audio visual system a thorough overhaul.

We recently had a repeat customer of ours, 200 Fifth in Brooklyn, NY, call us for service when a five-year-old projector broke. They made the wise choice to replace, rather than repair, the unit. But it’s not always easy to know you’re making the right choice when it comes to replacing audio or video equipment.

Knowing whether or not to replace aging audio visual equipment is kind of like knowing when to trade in that old beater of a car. You really have to do a cost-of-ownership analysis. Fortunately, most of us have the know-how to do the math when a used car is costing us $2,000 in repairs every few months. But it’s not always as easy to evaluate the complicated components of audio visual equipment. JD Systems is here to help.

Questions to Ask Before Replacing Old Audio Visual Gear
Here are some questions to consider before you call an audio visual integrator to revamp your sound and video systems.

Are parts breaking at bad times, interfering with the quality experience you’re offering guests?
The very minute that half the speakers go out in the middle of a big game, you know you can’t ever have that happen again. Or if your sound system won’t power up at 5 PM on Friday night, you know you’ve got trouble. Even if you don’t have the means to replace your entire audio video system at once, talk to a professional audio visual integrator to replace the parts that are at risk of breaking again and again. This is your business we’re talking about.

Can you even find replacement parts?
When it becomes nearly impossible to find replacement lamps for a projector, you may as well replace the whole unit. You could go crazy looking for the part, spend a lot of money and time replacing it, and then have something else break next week. It’s not worth the risk.

Is your current technology better than – or at least the same as – people can get at home?
If your customers walk into your bar and see old tube televisions, that’s a huge sign it’s time to upgrade. But the differences could be more subtle. Are you ready for an HD projector? Could new DSP make your speakers sound better? There are a lot of components you can upgrade to improve the overall sound and video in your sports bar or restaurant. A professional can guide you to the right options.

Do you have a vision for your venue that you just can’t achieve with the old technology you’re using right now?
Sometimes, new technology systems aren’t a need, but a want. When your old components are breaking, this is the perfect time to start thinking outside the box. How can you enhance the experience for your visitors and set your venue apart from the other sports bars and restaurants in the city?
Amazing advancements are made every day in the field of display technology, including bendable OLED screens, video walls and video tiles, and good sound systems are more affordable than ever before.

Any of these reasons are good ones to make the investment in new sound and video gear today. The first step is a call to JD Systems.

ABOUT US

JD Systems™ is a team of licensed, insured audio visual designers and installers, specializing in sound and video system engineering, design and installation. We provide free, no-risk consultations and honest estimates for commercial and residential audio video installations.